Trump confirms US strike in Venezuela, says President Nicolas Maduro has been 'captured'

[Pooky 3,949]

Trump Leads SEAL Team To Capture Rogue Dictator Gavin Newsom

POLITICS· Jan 5, 2026 · BabylonBee.com 

Copied 

SACRAMENTO, CA — Only days after the toppling of the Maduro regime in Venezuela, news broke Monday morning that President Donald Trump had led a Navy SEAL team to capture rogue dictator Gavin Newsom.

Reports came in in the early morning hours that loud explosions had been heard near the governor's mansion, with multiple witnesses saying they saw Black Hawk helicopters flying low over the city. A statement from the White House later confirmed that communist despot Gavin Newsom had been apprehended by Navy SEALs under the command of President Trump.

 

https://babylonbee.com/news/trump-leads-seal-team-to-capture-rogue-dictator-gavin-newsom
 

☠️

[TBoneTX 48,847]

33 minutes ago, Pooky said:

Trump Leads SEAL Team To Capture Rogue Dictator Gavin Newsom

He NEEDS to.  Also that lardbucket in Illinois.

[TBoneTX 48,847]

I find these observations quite interesting.

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Ten Reasons To Cheer the Arrest of Maduro

 

The weekend arrest of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro marks a rare moment when American power was used decisively, strategically, and unapologetically in defense of U.S. interests and human freedom – and there are at least 10 reasons to cheer it.  [...]

 

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/01/05/ten_reasons_to_cheer_the_arrest_of_maduro_153677.html

[TBoneTX 48,847]

The icing on the cake would be if Pres. Trump distributes to the involved military personnel the $25 million reward for capturing Maduro.

[TBoneTX 48,847]

Three outcomes for Maduro:

 

1.   Rot in a U.S. prison (good).

2.  Face justice in Venezuela (better).

3.  Be appointed head of the Democrat National Committee (perfect casting!).

[mam521 2,827]

16 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

I find these observations quite interesting.

Many of these are pretty much exactly what my Venezuelan colleagues are chatting about in office today and are essentially in agreement with what they are saying.  One colleague pointed out that when the government is the cartel and vice versa, there's essentially limitless resources available.  This is helped by the fact that the government cartel has been in operation for the better part of 3 decades and that usually cartels only get about 10 years or so in before something interruptive happens.  They say a lot of focus is on Maduro when it should be on Flores.  She's the actual commander, chief decision maker and power holder.    

 

The king and queen have been removed from the chess board, so it will be interesting to see what plays out.

 

Oh, and I've never heard a single one of them refer to Maduro as "president".  They say he is no such thing.  He wasn't elected. 

[TBoneTX 48,847]

This doesn't sound or look promising.

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Venezuela:  The hour of the thug

 

Foul people in power can only lead to foul results.

 

In the wake of the flawless U.S. military-law enforcement operation to extract Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and fly him to New York to face narcoterror charges, the Chavistas who remain are turning the scene into an orgy of violence and thuggery.

Delcy Rodriguez, who was the vice president until today, was sworn in as president, presumably creating the 'transition' promised by President Trump.  Her brother controls the legislature.  And Delcy is said to have collaborated with the CIA to ensure Maduro's removal.

 

Her first move was to send her goons into the streets to arrest Venezuelan dissidents, declaring an all-out war on those who supported the U.S. operation against Maduro.  [...]

 

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/venezuela_the_hour_of_the_thug.html

[speedster 48]

On 1/5/2026 at 12:55 PM, Dashinka said:

I am still trying to find out how this is an "act of war" as many on the left are calling it.  Seems like it was more of a fugitive apprehension.  Regardless, yes, the US does not have a good track record when it comes to nation building (look how the Orange revolution turned out in Ukraine) , so hopefully the bureaucrats do not get too involved, but it will be tough sledding.

 

Regardless, peace through strength appears to be a better position than appeasement.

 

I am curious though, why do leftist ideologies (communists, socialists, etc.) always insist on preserving the remains of their corrupt leaders?

"fugitive apprehension" I find it rich when people think we should conduct non-jurisdictional enforcement operations, let alone remove a head of state like they just did, Iraq and Libya come to mind. Then when is Putin being taken in the same manner? What about Maria Belova? Or better yet Netanyahu?

"so hopefully the bureaucrats do not get too involved, but it will be tough sledding." That was the first words out of trumps mouth, he's there for oil and us companies to get involved, heck, he wants to call the shots over there with Maduros 2nd in command so much for democracy and liberation. Country is still be run by corrupt people.

[Boiler 48,438]

[Boiler 48,438]

 

[TBoneTX 48,847]

38 minutes ago, Boiler said:

 

That's just about right...

[TBoneTX 48,847]

I think that this is an exceptionally perceptive piece.

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What's REALLY Next for Venezuela and What the MSM Gets Wrong

 

[...] Marco Rubio summed it up when he appeared on Meet the Press on Sunday and said that "most of the 'experts' people have on television, I watch these experts and it's clown hour.  These are people that have focused their entire career on the Middle East or some other part of the world because that's where all the action was.  Very few of them know anything about Venezuela or the Western Hemisphere."

 

So, here is what I can tell you about what's next for Venezuela: No one outside the White House knows.  I don't know.  You don't know.  The loudest reporters, anchors, and pundits in the rest of the media don't know — even the ones with the fancy anonymous sources who claim to be insiders, even the ones with the big names who get all the attention.  None of them know.

I'd also be willing to bet that inside the White House, they [...]

 

https://pjmedia.com/sarah-anderson/2026/01/06/whats-really-next-for-venezuela-n4947951

[Dashinka 26,398]

7 hours ago, speedster said:

"fugitive apprehension" I find it rich when people think we should conduct non-jurisdictional enforcement operations, let alone remove a head of state like they just did, Iraq and Libya come to mind. Then when is Putin being taken in the same manner? What about Maria Belova? Or better yet Netanyahu?

"so hopefully the bureaucrats do not get too involved, but it will be tough sledding." That was the first words out of trumps mouth, he's there for oil and us companies to get involved, heck, he wants to call the shots over there with Maduros 2nd in command so much for democracy and liberation. Country is still be run by corrupt people.

So Maduro was a legitimate head of state?  As to Putin, Belova or Netanyahu, that is up to the ICC and their enforcement arm.  Last I remember, the US does not do enforcement for the ICC, maybe the Europeans can do it.  Maduro's indictment was a US criminal case and had nothing to do with the ICC.  

 

I would rather wait and see what happens over time rather than jump to conclusions after only a few days.  I heard the leftist pundit Jake Tapper calling for immediate elections, that is simply reckless given that this was not regime change, so time will tell.  Btw, I want to revisit the whole country building history discussion.  The US does have a few successes when the bureaucrats are not allowed to muck things up.  I would cite the ROK, Japan, and Germany as being successes.  The ROK especially given where they were at after the Korean War.  Of course that is another great example of socialism not working just like Venezuela.

[Dashinka 26,398]

5 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

I think that this is an exceptionally perceptive piece.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What's REALLY Next for Venezuela and What the MSM Gets Wrong

 

[...] Marco Rubio summed it up when he appeared on Meet the Press on Sunday and said that "most of the 'experts' people have on television, I watch these experts and it's clown hour.  These are people that have focused their entire career on the Middle East or some other part of the world because that's where all the action was.  Very few of them know anything about Venezuela or the Western Hemisphere."

 

So, here is what I can tell you about what's next for Venezuela: No one outside the White House knows.  I don't know.  You don't know.  The loudest reporters, anchors, and pundits in the rest of the media don't know — even the ones with the fancy anonymous sources who claim to be insiders, even the ones with the big names who get all the attention.  None of them know.

I'd also be willing to bet that inside the White House, they [...]

 

https://pjmedia.com/sarah-anderson/2026/01/06/whats-really-next-for-venezuela-n4947951

Very perceptive, but of course the many on the right and most of the left don't pay attention to the long-game.

[mam521 2,827]

3 hours ago, Dashinka said:

So Maduro was a legitimate head of state?  As to Putin, Belova or Netanyahu, that is up to the ICC and their enforcement arm.  Last I remember, the US does not do enforcement for the ICC, maybe the Europeans can do it.  Maduro's indictment was a US criminal case and had nothing to do with the ICC.  

Exactly this.  When my Venezuelan colleagues put it this way - that Maduro and Flores were arrested as heads of the cartel - it makes sense.  The fact that he wasn't the elected president and there was proof presented on paper, shows he's not.  Even if you did want to argue that he is, Flores is not.  Flores is a deputy in the national assembly.